Commission sets commercial king mackerel season

A declaration of emergency setting the 2010 commercial fishing season for king mackerel was issued by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at the January 7, 2010 meeting. The commercial fishing season for king mackerel in Louisiana state waters will open at 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2010, and will remain open until the 2010-11 commercial quota for the western Gulf of Mexico is harvested or projected to be harvested.

The Commission also authorized the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to close the commercial king mackerel season in Louisiana waters and re-open the commercial season to coincide with season dates in federal waters. The commission's actions ensure that regulations in Louisiana state waters will mirror regulations of federally managed waters. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council cooperatively manage king mackerel in federal waters off the coast of Louisiana, and consistent regulations enhance effectiveness and enforceability of those rules.